Reformers Agree On Welfare Cap Deal For 5-Year Limit Could Be ‘Tough Sell,’ Mielke Says

Welfare reform negotiators struck a deal Thursday that would allow people to stay on welfare for five years, but a Republican House leader said it would be a “tough sell” to GOP lawmakers.

The Democratic Senate agreed to move off a six-year limit and the House from a four-year limit after a second afternoon of haggling.

But there were indications the agreement, a major step in the drive to overhaul the welfare system, would stumble by next week.

“I’m going to have a hard time selling this to my caucus,” said House Majority Caucus Leader Todd Mielke, R-Spokane.

He said Republicans will find it “hard to believe” that welfare recipients couldn’t find work in the time allowed under the House’s initial proposal. Mielke added that Republicans, still smarting from Gov. Mike Lowry’s veto Wednesday of GOP elements of a teen runaway bill, “don’t trust the governor and will want assurances he wouldn’t veto our sections of the welfare bill.”

Senate lead negotiator Kevin Quigley, D-Lake Stevens, said his majority caucus also may balk at the compromise.

He said the Senate has “given a lot” considering that the current law permits welfare recipients to draw checks for as long as 13 years.

“I think we’ll get it through, but some people will have to swallow hard.”

The compromise would allow recipients, at a maximum, to stay on welfare for five years with six months of the time for job searching, two years of job training, two years of community service and six months of gradually declining benefits before being cut off entirely.

The compromise also calls for recipients to wait one year before applying again for welfare and to agree to perform community service to draw benefits again. They would have to wait five years before again qualifying for job training.

The sides also agreed to take to their caucuses a proposal to cut in half the benefit increases accorded to women who have a baby once they’re on welfare. Additional babies while on welfare would bring no benefit boosts. Initially, the House had wanted to give no additional money for babies born once the mother was on welfare.

House-Senate negotiators earlier this week agreed to cut off direct welfare for unwed teen mothers.

Lawmakers from both parties and both houses said the goal is to keep the young mother in a home with a responsible adult while she goes to school, learns parenting skills and gets on her feet.

The plan would require the woman to live with her parents or other safe adults. If the home situation is not safe, the mother and child would go into a foster home or group home, which would get the welfare check.